World-Class Football Returns to Lviv: Shakhtar Set to Face Germany’s Schalke in Europa Cup Action

Following their 3rd-place finish behind elite squads Real Madrid and PSG at the Champion’s League group stage, Lviv’s adopted team, Shakhtar Donetsk, earned direct qualification to the Round of 32 in the second-tier Europa League competition. The 9-time Ukrainian champions, who captured the Cup back in 2009, are set to face German squad Schalke in a home-and-away set beginning on February 18th at Arena Lviv. The teams have only met once before – at the same stage of this tournament in 2005 – when Shakhtar prevailed 2:1 in the two-game set. Shakhtar will look to continue their pre-winter break form when they return, having won their last 11 league matches. They will face a Schalke squad that hasn’t been in top form recently, having won only 3 of their last 10 Bundesliga games. This marks the 3rd-time The Pitmen have qualified for this stage since their triumph in 2009, but they have yet to advance since that famous victory. Game time at Arena Lviv is 22:05, with the away matchup scheduled for Gelsenkirchen, Germany on February 25th at 20:00.